Knockdown trestle.



No- 829,548. PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

' G. D. SMITH.

KNOOKDOWN TRBSTLE. APPLICATION FILED 113.28. 1905.

R. m m2 5 rm W T l J CHARLES D. SMITH, OF PARIS, ILLINOIS.

KNOCKDOWN TRESTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28. 1906.

Application filed February 28, 1906. Serial No. 303,527.

To aZZ whom it Wtwy concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. SMITH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Paris,

in the county of Edgar and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Knockdown Trestle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trestles employed by carpenters, builders, and other mechanics or workmen for supporting staging or the work while being operated on, and has for its object to produce a simply-constructed device of this character which may be readily knocked down and folded into relatively small space for transportation or storage when not in use or which may be as readily set up when required.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of the im proved device set up or in operative position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling member detached.

The improved devices are employed in pairs, one at each. end of a "head member, and as both are alike the description of one will suflice for both.

The improved device comprises two legs 10 11, coupled near one end by links 12 13, the links pivoted at 14 15 to the legs and con.- nected between the legs by an integral web 16. By this means the legs are spaced apart and adapted to firmly compress a head member 17 between them when the lower ends of the legs are distended, as will be obvious. The head member may be an ordinary piece of scantling or joist or a member constructed especially for the purpose and may be of any length and of any suitable size. Generally any piece of scantling or joist which may be accessible may be employed, and when the legs are to be transported the head member will be discarded and another head member utilized from the material at the new location. The legs 10 11 are lined where they engage the head member with metal wearplates 18 19 to receive the strains, and thus prevent wear upon the wooden legs. The link members 12 and 13 and the connectingweb 16 may be of malleable iron or steel or pressed from a steel plate or otherwise constructed, as may be required. Attached, as by rivets or screws, to the leg 10 is a plate 20, having a socket 21, and likewise secured to the leg 11 is a plate 22, having an arm 23, pivoted at 24:, to swing therefrom, the arm being threaded, as at 25. Adjustably engaging the threaded arm 23 is a swivel member 26,

the swivel member having a threaded aperture to receive the arm, and with its free end pointed for bearing in the socket 21, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement it is obvious that by rotating the swivel member in one direction the legs 10 11 may be distended at their lower longer ends and the member 17 firmly compressed between the shorter upper ends, and with a set of the legs at each end of the head member an eflicient and rigid horse or trestle is produced.

The device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured of any required size, and employed for a variety of purposes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, two legs coupled near one end and spaced apart at the coupling element, a socket upon one of said legs, a threaded arm swinging from the other of said legs, and a swivel member having a threaded aperture engaged by said threaded arm and bearing in said socket by the free end.

2. A device of the class described comprising two legs connected near one end by links pivoted thereto at opposite sides and coupled between the legs by an integral web, a socket plate connected to one of said legs, a threaded arm swinging from the other of said legs,

BEST AVMLABLE COPY and a swivel member having a threaded ap- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as erture at one end for engagement with said my own I have hereto afiiXed my signature arm and bearing in said s0oketlate at the in the presence of two witnesses.

other end, whereby a head mem er may be CHARLES D. SMITH. 5 compressed between the shorter ends of said Witnesses: v

legs when the threaded rod and swivel mem- GEO. W. MYERS,

ber are actuated. F. W. WRIGHT. 

